The washing machine progresses washing, rinsing, and spinning cycles to remove contaminants stuck to clothes by using actions of detergent, and water. FIG. 1 illustrates a section of a typical pulsator type washing machine, which will be described.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is an outer tub 20 in a cabinet 10 which forms an outside shape in a floated state by dampers 15, for holding water, and an inner tub 30 rotatably mounted on an inside of the outer tub 20. The inner tub 30 has a plurality of pass through holes (not shown), so that the water supplied to the inner tub 30 or the outer tub 20 flows between the inner tub 30 and the outer tub 20. There is a pulsator 35 rotatably mounted on a central part of a bottom of the inner tub 30. In the meantime, the outer tub 20 has a drain hose 60 in communication with an outside of the cabinet 10 connected thereto, with a drain valve 65 on a middle of the hose 60.
The inner tub 30 has a washing shaft 41 connected thereto, and the pulsator 35 has the washing shaft 41 connected thereto through a spinning shaft 45 and the inner tub 30. The washing shaft 41 and the spinning shaft 45 are connected with a clutch assembly 40, mechanically. In the meantime, there is a motor 50 under the outer tub 20 spaced a distance from the clutch assembly 40 for generating power, and a belt 55 connects the motor 50 and a lower end of the washing shaft 41.
In the foregoing typical pulsator type washing machine, when the motor 50 is put into operation, the rotation power is transmitted to the washing shaft 41 through the belt 55.
In this case, if it is in a state the clutch assembly 40 separates the washing shaft 41 from the spinning shaft 45, only the pulsator 35 rotates. Accordingly, the washing machine can carries out washing or rinsing by using water circulation and friction force generated by rotation of the pulsator 35.
Opposite to this, if it is in a state the clutch assembly 40 connects the washing shaft 41 and the spinning shaft 45, the pulsator rotates 35, together with the inner tub 30. According to this, the washing machine can carry out spinning for extract moisture from the laundry. Of course, in this time, the drain valve 65 is opened to drain water from the outer tub 20 to an outside of the washing machine through the drain hose 60.
However, the typical washing machine has the following a few problems.
At first, as described, the typical washing machine has a structure in which rotating power is transmitted from the motor to the washing shaft by a belt, indirectly. Therefore, power transmission loss caused by belt slip, and friction is very high.
Moreover, in the typical washing machine, for preventing slip during the power transmission, the belt is set to pull a lower end part of the washing shaft with high tension. And, the heavy motor is mounted under the outer tube on one side thereof away from a center part. Therefore, the inner tub, and the outer tub can be tilted within the cabinet.